Andrew Jack, who played Major Ematt in two stars Wars films and had a voice role in a third, has died from COVID-19. He was 76 and died at a hospital in Chertsey, England, according to his agent, Jill McCullough.
“Andrew lived on one of the oldest working houseboats on the Thames, he was fiercely independent but madly on love with his wife, also a dialect coach,” McCullough said.
His wife, Gabrielle Rogers, also posted a notice on social media: “We lost a man today. Andrew Jack was diagnosed with Coronavirus 2 days ago. He was in no pain, and he slipped away peacefully knowing that his family was all ‘with’ him. Take care out there, lovers,” she tweeted. Jack was also a direct coach along with being an actor.
Jack appeared in Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi and Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens. He also had a voice part in Solo: A Star Wars Story.
Joonas Suotamo – who played Chewbacca – posted a tribute to Jack on Twitter. “Today we learned that a member of our Star Wars family, Andrew Jack, passed away due to complications from COVID-19,” Suotamo wrote. “In addition to playing Major Ematt in The Force Awakens, his work as a dialect coach on TFA, solo, & other SW films revealed a man who passionate & caring for both his work and those around him. My thoughts are with his family and friends.”
Fellow star Wars actor Greg Grunberg said he was “devastated” to learn of Jack’s death, describing him as a “wonderful, talented, beloved gentleman.”
“He is one of the kindest people I’ve ever worked with,”
In addition to his acting work, Jack was a dialect coach in Hollywood. He worked with actors on Men in Black: International, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Thor: Ragnarok and two of the Avengers movies. He also worked with Christian Bale on his voice for Batman Begins and was going to work with Robert Pattinson on DC’s upcoming The Batman.
